Eat Right & Live Well
By Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE, BC-ADM
1 Shop regularly to keep your cupboards and refrigerator stocked with an ample supply of healthy foods.
Why: If you have healthy foods in your home to choose from, you are more likely to eat healthy meals or snacks.
2 Eat more foods high in healthy omega-3 fats. These are found in fatty fish such as salmon, albacore tuna, or mackerel. They are also found in ground flax seed (which you can use on cereal or in casseroles) and walnuts.
Why: Omega-3 fats may reduce heart disease by preventing the platelets in your blood from forming a clot and sticking to the walls of your arteries.
3 Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. More is better.
Why: Fruits and vegetables give you a bounty of the vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy. Also, fruits and vegetables fill you up and are low in calories.
4 Fit beans and peas into your meals. Use canned, dry, and/or frozen ones.
Why: They are chock full of nutrients. Also they raise blood glucose more slowly than other sources of carbohydrates.
Exercise tips
Work in 30 minutes of activity a day. Staying active burns calories, lowers blood glucose, and improves blood fats. It also lowers blood pressure and makes you feel good all-around – what better reasons could you need!
Start by fitting in some activity on most days of the week. Aim toward a goal of 30 minutes every day.
Burn extra calories (and glucose) here and there:
Take the stairs instead of elevators and escalators.
Park further away from where you are going to get in a few minutes of walking.
Do your household chores–run the vacuum, sweep the floors, do laundry, and garden.
Healthy Eating tips
Eat smaller quantities of all the foods you choose.
Think of the meat portion of your meal as a side dish.
Use fats sparingly: Put less cream cheese on your bagel, less oil in the pan for sautéing, less dressing on your salad.
Limit sugary foods and sweets to a once-a-week treat
